12 TAGS OF 2014 - JAN - DEC

The last day of 2014. How quickly the whole year has flown. It's time to hang up my 12 tags because tomorrow sees the start of a new set, those of 2015 courtesy of Mr Tim Holtz, the Duke of Distress. My tags from this year are now with Quentin James Design ready to make my blog background for another 12 months. So here they all are together for my usual end of year photo.

Thank you once again to Tim for another year of fun. Roll on the next 12 tags. HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone.

SKETCH BOOK REVEAL

I kept you guessing for weeks while making the sketch book covers, but the parcels have all been opened now so I can share the finished results. I tried to assemble bits and bobs which were, in part, relevant to the recipient and overall it seemed to work. Anyway, have a look and see if you recognise yours - if you got one of course!!!

Thank you for sharing this bit of crafting fun with me and thank you to everyone who received a book for the happy comments. I'm already planning next year's fun so watch this space - but not quite yet!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

To all my friends, pals, fabulous family, may I wish you the happiest Christmas ever and a healthy, fun 2015.

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS PART 6

So far this is the last showcase of the hand crafted cards for this year.  Chris is in the limelight today after sending me this lovely mixed media style card.

Isn't this just super. I've known Chris for few years now and we have met up at various events over that time. She has become an avid crafter and more excitingly, she gives anything a go which I find quite brave because she isn't frightened to use new stash either. She is a very popular member of this wonderful hobby and has come on in leaps and bounds through her enthusiasm for it.

THANK YOU Chris for this lovely greeting x.

BIRTHDAY CARDS

I received gorgeous cards on Saturday but I want to share the hand-crafted ones with you.

The first one is from Sylvia who brought a happy tear to my eye when I saw this masterpiece. It's definitely being framed

Look at all that detail, it's just mind blowing. I've never seen anything so delicate and I have a few of these creations now, some of which are already framed. WOW! 

I will show you the others without names just so the amazing creators don't get flack from other pals in case they didn't receive cards. All are super special to me and I am grateful for them all.

This crafter knows what I like! 

This crafter has something I want!

This crafter is a Burpless grower!!

THANK YOU everyone x

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS PART 5

Today I was going to show you my amazing hand crafted birthday cards but hubby took me out all day yesterday and the light is too bad today to do photos justice. I hope I get chance to photo them tomorrow and share their magic with you. 

This post is another showcasing the amazing CHRISTMAS talent of my pals and highlights no other than the uber talented Hazel.

Believe me when I say this little chap follows you round the room and stands out vividly on the shelf. Hazel has perfected colouring as you can see and her creations are truly beautiful. She is a pal I have known for many years now but another I have never met. She is one of the best ladies I know and would be THE best if she let me have my puppy Belle back LOL 

THANK YOU Hazel for another wonderful card.

Just to let you know another little fact about these crafty pals of mine.

Hazel, Barb, Sylvia and Sonia all became known to me through swapping ATCs. The bubbly Leonie Pujol used to run an ATC swap group called Fab Friday. This is my now battered folder.

And these are some of our Leonies cards.

We all started to swap our ATCs around April 2008 so you can see how friendships are developed through craft and how they can become a major part of your life.

I treasure these lasses.

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS PART 4

Not a card today but a sewn ornament. My beautiful step daughter, Paula is an immaculate seamstress. She has patience to make the most complex and sometimes tiny objects all of which come out perfectly. Not only do I now own a Christmas angel bear and Mrs Bun Bun but this amazing looking apple.

The material is lovely, really Christmassy with lots of gold shining on it. How she achieved that shape beats me. We have a sewing day planned for the 27th but as she has a lot of building work going on at home just now, we may just need a rain check on that. I will let you know although if we can go ahead I won't be able show what I make as it's a present. So thank you Paula, cos I love this - BTW - it won't be going away with the rest of the decorations after Christmas!!

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS PART 3

Today I am showcasing a beautiful x-stitch card made by my pal Barb who lives in Northants and whom I have never met.

Barb is a delightful lady who I 'feel' excitement from whenever I send her anything. She is an all round crafter of the highest level having been an artist when she worked. Her attention to detail is only matched by a few and definitely not me! My stuff has to be right the first time or 'just do!!

Look at this and you will see what I mean.

Isn't this so cute.

I keep all my hand crafted cards and this one may just have to be framed and come out again next year.

Thank you so much Barb x

IT IS NOW YEAR 6

The years are flying past far too quickly as here I am yet again making an anniversary page for Toby's scrapbooks. Six years have now gone by and for some reason this year has been the worse. We came so close to getting another cat a few weeks ago but thought better of it least of all because we are no longer allowed to have a cat where we live!!!! I still think that is against our rights especially as we would keep another as a house cat, but new rules have been written and we would have been on a hiding to nothing had we been the only ones to resist them. I have always made his pages in advance but again for reasons unknown I just couldn't get my head round it this year. However, when I turned over in bed about 4am this morning on to my sore cheek (from falling out of bed 2 weeks ago and hitting my face on the corner of the bedside drawers)I couldn't get back to sleep for thinking about how to create today's page. A certain Hels Sheridan helped me. She inspired all my Xmas cards this year following a fantastic workshop with her so she has also inspired Toby's page today.

All made from scratch with distress inks and Tim Holtz Dies.

The star attraction himself, our handsome boy.

Even the deer are looking at him although I think Rudolph is trying to take the limelight. He's a handsome chap too.

So despite the day and it's meaning, I did enjoy making this page after all. I just want to say a big thank you to a lovely pal Jilly who has never once forgotten Toby's anniversary. She supported me when we lost him and she is going through a bad patch herself just now but still took the time to email me. My warmest thoughts are with her and her husband at this difficult time and I am sure 2015 will be much happier.

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS - PART 2

I have been lucky enough to actually meet some of my crafting pals and Sonia is one.

This lady can talk for England! but in saying that, meeting her several years ago now was a really easy and happy event. She is just 'bubbly' and a pleasure to be around.

Whenever I blog or FB something I have made that she hasn't seen or tried herself, I always get a request to explain how I did it. It's a case of posting then counting to 10 before I hear from her. My hubs and I laugh so much.

Sonia is very talented, just look at this card

It's so clean and neat and shouts Christmas. 

We haven't had a crafty session together for ages so we are going to plan a bit of 'messy' time next year. 

Thank you Sonia. X

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS

Each year I am lucky enough to receive hand crafted cards and sometimes, some hand crafted gifts too. All because I have some extremely talented friends and family.

I thought I would showcase one each day.

Today is the turn of my pal Sylvia who lives in glorious Devon. You may recall that she is a whiz with a sewing machine and hand sewing making the most glorious patchwork quilts, cushions, etc.. She is also a talented card maker and this year excelled with this amazing parchment  card.

The detail must have taken an age, well it would have taken me that long anyway and then ended up in the bin!

Thank you Sylvia. You know I will treasure this long after Christmas. 

ROYAL MAGIC??

A certain person seems to have some magic mushrooms - well they aren't the only  one

12 TAGS OF 2014 - DECEMBER

Well we have reached December which means this is the last of the 12 tags of 2014 from Tim I always put the first 12 days of December on my priority list so I could make his tag each day but to be honest, making them each month instead does mean having a varied record of techniques and also makes my blog background more interesting. I do love the Xmas ones though, they really are my favourite. Once again I compromised on a few items namely: I made my own frosted by spraying clear thick acetate sheet with glass etching spray - it worked I made my own cut out letters in core'dinations by cutting through a stencil I used a Sizzix strip die to cut the word Jolly A bubble embossing folder created the snow effect I 'puddled' distress stains onto my craft sheet and picked up the liquid with a brush and flicked it onto the tag I did the same to make the green card for the festive greenery at the bottom the Charm is a silver one from my stash I love this tag especially the glitter on the prancing deer which at the moment is also my favourite die.

Photographed against my Eclectic Elements curtain, the little 'embrace imperfection' tag is perfect too.

Thank you Tim for another wonderful set of tags. Roll on 2015.

ALL POSTED

The cards have gone throughout the land!

Yep, our Christmas cards have all been sent.

I decided to mass produce this year. That sounds like a cop out but every one was hand made with care and love and all following tuition from our Hels Sheridan. 

Hels always shows as many techniques as possible at her workshops and I followed what she taught me when I made my cards.

I hope I can take this knowledge forward into cards in general - although I may find that difficult if I don't get another dose of our Hels' talent next year..

IN THE POST

Done and dusted. By that I mean the packages are in the post! 

If you receive one you can open the box because your Xmas card is inside. However, there is another treat tied with string which is really for Xmas - can you hear me Ms Jones!!!!!!

Obviously it's up to you whether you save it for the 25th or not.

I've had so much fun making these little presents and hope you get to use them and also have fun too.

Once Xmas day is over I will let you see some photos.

I'm off to continue playing on my iPad now thanks to help getting it linked to my iPhone from my SiL and SD. Too clever for me these youngsters today. Hehe!

SPRING TIME!!!!!!

Ive just had a little break from doing some sewing and as it's such a gorgeous day I've wandered around the garden. It doesn't take long to wander because my garden is really small  however, the winter hasn't happened as yet but spring is in the air. Just look at all these flowers

Just to prove it's nearly Xmas, here are some with Xmas decorations

The proof that spring is in the air is this next photo. Spring bulbs, daffs and crocus

The Yew berries have all been eaten by the blackbirds but they don't touch these

Or these

Have a lovely day in the sunshine.

GO LEWIS

HERE I GO AGAIN!!